ADDRESSING a business seminar in Ladysmith, the Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition (the dtic), Nomalungelo Gina, urged small business operators in KwaZulu-Natal to take advantage of government support programmes.
She said that small business operators should “appreciate their position as the backbone of the economy and take all the steps critical to their growth and development”.
The business seminar was held at the Ladysmith Indoor Sports Centre in the Alfred Duma Local Municipality, in KwaZulu-Natal. She said cumulatively the Small, Micro and Medium Enterprise (SMME) sector contributes immensely towards overall job creation goals of South Africa.
The interactive seminar brought various state entities and development finance institutions to the community of Ladysmith to share information on financial and non-financial support available to businesses. The seminar was part of the build-up programme to the Presidential Imbizo which took place in the Alfred Duma Municipality last week.
Gina appealed to locals in attendance to identify and make use of some of the existing opportunities such as the rich cultural history of the area to develop sound and workable businesses that will lift them out of poverty.
“We should consciously avoid tying our mindset to the idea that economic opportunities can only be found in major developed cities and metros such as eThekwini or Johannesburg. We must be strategic in our approach and efforts, and use what nature and history have already given us to better our lives and play a meaningful role in building the economy of our country, where we find ourselves at the moment,” she said.
She further urged operators to ensure compliance with all the regulations that are in place because this will protect the integrity of their businesses and ensure they are able to access all the support measures, including in times of crisis, like the recent floods and the July unrests of 2021.
